Which BB interface...
alomac
Posts: 189
My MTB is an '09 model hardtail with a 9-speed Deore drivetrain and a Shimano M442-8 crankset. The M442-8 is an entry-level Octalink crankset, basically the previous-generation Alivio with 9-speed rings. I'm just a regular punter on a bike and I have no complaints about its performance.
My commuter, on the other hand, needs a new crankset and I've been thinking about upgrading the MTB's cranks to something like a Deore Hollowtech and moving the M442-8s over to it. I don't know if this is worthwhile compared to keeping the MTB as is and buying a cheap square-taper for the commter, though.
There's a lot out there on the technical merits of each system and, from what I can tell, by moving to an external system you're picking up some extra stiffness and lightness at the expense of BB longevity. That said, most of this info dates from when external BBs were new, and maybe they've gotten better. The other thing is that Octalink is slowly but surely on its way out, so it might be worth jumping ship now.
What would you all do?
My commuter, on the other hand, needs a new crankset and I've been thinking about upgrading the MTB's cranks to something like a Deore Hollowtech and moving the M442-8s over to it. I don't know if this is worthwhile compared to keeping the MTB as is and buying a cheap square-taper for the commter, though.
There's a lot out there on the technical merits of each system and, from what I can tell, by moving to an external system you're picking up some extra stiffness and lightness at the expense of BB longevity. That said, most of this info dates from when external BBs were new, and maybe they've gotten better. The other thing is that Octalink is slowly but surely on its way out, so it might be worth jumping ship now.
What would you all do?
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Comments
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The Octalink BB will fit the bike and as it is a sealed cartridge bearing and an "internal" bottom bracket you wont need to do anything other than screw it in to the commuter bike.
I did this with my old Rockhopper which had a 9 speed Deore M442 crankset. I put a HT-2 Deore crankset on to that, which means that you'll need to get the bottom bracket of the frame "faced" so that the surfacres are 100% square and level, so that the external bearings can be mated to the frame square so not to have an impact on the bearings and wear them out because they would be running at a slight angle.
Get your LBS to face the frame of your MTB before you fit the Hollowtech 2 BB. It'll cost about £20-£30 for them to do.
As for your Commuter, remove the Square Taper with the correct tools and then screw in the Octalink BB, again using the correct tools!
I would swap the Octalink over and upgrade the MTB. Upgrading is like being Batman. Always be Batman
Hope this helps!!
Good luck!It's been a while...0 -
Personally I'd stick with ST for a commuter, the BB is the longest lasting of any, my current one having been on for 3000miles so far.
That said the HT2 is a nice upgrade, although the majority of the advantage is less weight, I didn't notice any major change in stiffness over the previous powersline (SRAM equivalent of Octlink) on my MTB (big change from ST to Powerspline though!).Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0 -
Octalink bbs are less common now, so slightly more expensive. Ht2 bbs start from about 15 quid rrp... I would avoid using/ reusing octalink simply for long term serviceability. There is nothing wrong with square taper, it's not worth spending time/ money swapping used parts between frames for such a small gain in performance.0
